Pet food, treats and animal feed

• Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 — placing on the market and use of feed
• Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 — feed hygiene
• Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 — animal by-products
• Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 — general food law

Who has to appoint one

Anyone placing pet food or feed on the EU market. The operator named on the label must be established in the Union and registered as a feed business operator with the competent authority of its member state. Importers of products of animal origin also need the consignment to enter through an approved border control post from an approved third-country establishment.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Treats, chews and complementary supplements are feed. Registration as a feed business operator applies from the first placing on the market.

What must appear on the label

Type of feed — complete or complementary — species, ingredient list, analytical constituents, additives with their identification numbers, net quantity, batch reference, minimum durability date, storage instructions, feeding instructions, and the name, address and approval or registration number of the responsible feed business operator.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces require the EU operator details, and listings making health claims for animals are removed. Cross-border sales of products of animal origin are additionally constrained by veterinary import rules.

Documentation you must hold

Registration or approval as a feed business operator. HACCP-based procedures. Traceability one step back and one step forward. Specifications and certificates of analysis for raw materials. Import documentation for animal by-products, including the health certificate and the approved establishment listing. Evidence for any claim used.

Standards and testing

Microbiological testing including Salmonella, mycotoxin screening, heavy metals, and verification of the declared analytical constituents. Products of animal origin require testing consistent with the category of by-product and its processing.

Language requirements

The complete label in the official language of each member state where the product is sold.

When it applies

Registration before the first placing on the market. Import controls apply at the border for every consignment of animal-origin products.

How long records are kept

Traceability and analysis records per national law, generally at least the shelf life plus a defined period, and typically five years for import documentation.

What happens if you do not comply

Seizure at the border, withdrawal, destruction, and fines. Feed is enforced by veterinary and food safety authorities, which act quickly and without the negotiation typical of consumer product cases.

Who enforces it

National feed and veterinary authorities, border control posts, and the Commission's approved establishment lists.

Where the boundary lies

A pet shampoo is a consumer product under GPSR; the same brand's dog treat is feed under a completely different regime with a registered operator, border controls and no representative shortcut. A product claiming to treat a disease in animals is a veterinary medicinal product under Regulation 2019/6.

Questions we are asked

Can a responsible person cover pet food?

No. Feed law requires a registered feed business operator established in the Union, with substantive duties including traceability and withdrawal.

Are dog chews of animal origin restricted?

Yes. They are animal by-products and must come from an approved third-country establishment and enter through a border control post with a health certificate.